Reno craft beer made from local hops coming soon

Mar. 17, 2014

Written by

Associated Press

RENO, NEV. — Reno beer drinkers may soon be able to enjoy a craft beer made from hops grown locally.

The Reno nonprofit organization Urban Roots is planting 10 kinds of hops this spring to see how well they do in a high desert climate.

Urban Roots’ executive director Jeff Bryant says they could be a workable alternative for farmers because hops require much less water than other crops such as alfalfa.

“We want to introduce a new product to help them diversify their fields and give them an idea of the per-acre cost and per-acre production,” Bryant told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Bryant said the new hops will not only benefit local agriculture, but they’ll also benefit Reno’s growing craft beer market by providing quality, local product.

“The craft beer industry is exploding, but when it comes to buying hops, they don’t have the buying power of a Coors or a Budweiser,” he said.

Hops, which have been used to flavor beers for hundreds of years, are flowers shaped like pinecones that grow on a perennial vine.

Scott Emond, an owner of Reno’s Under the Rose Brewing Co., said he’s excited about the project.

“The more local ingredients, the better,” he said. “From a business standpoint, it drives down the shipping costs, and I can talk directly to the person growing them rather than a middle man in an office.”

Reno-grown hops will be more environmentally friendly because they won’t have to travel as far, and they’ll appeal to people looking for local products, he said.

The Urban Roots project is being paid for with a $40,000 grant from the state Department of Agriculture.

Volunteers began preparing the soil last week on a 1-acre plot near South McCarran Boulevard, Bryant said. The land is part of a farm tract that belongs to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Main Station Field Laboratory.

Bryant said planting will start in April, and the vines will take about three years to reach maturity.

The plot will include 10 varieties, with about 100 plants for each type.